Wednesday, September 12, 2007

SOMETHING TO DO WITH JESUS

I don’t know much about Kathy Griffin’s stand-up or acting. My main exposure to her was as an animated version of herself on Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist (it was funny). But she made headlines this week at the pre-taped Emmy Awards when she won for best reality program for her show, “My Life on the D-List”. Specifically, it was her controversial acceptance speech that made the headlines.

"A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award,” said Griffin. “I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus.” She added, "Suck it, Jesus. This award is my god now."

It should come as no surprise to people who’ve read some of my little blog things that I have no problem with what she said. It’s quite a funny send-up of all the rich and famous folks who really do get up there and thank Jesus for their award (‘cause He’s all about the gold statuettes, that savior). But not everyone got the joke.

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights called her remarks “blasphemous and obscene” and called on the TV Academy that ran the event to denounce Griffin’s “hate speech”. Their president commented that, “It is a sure bet that if Griffin had said ‘Suck it, Muhammad’ there would have been a very different reaction.’”

That last hypothetical seems like an odd point to make. For one thing, she wouldn’t say ‘Suck it, Muhammad’ because nobody thanks Muhammad at these events. Jesus was kind of the epicenter of the joke. It is true, however, that such a comment would have had a different reaction. But that is because a small but not insignificant portion of Muslims ARE FUCKING INSANE.

(Before dismissing me as a bigot please re-read the previous sentence carefully, it’s quite hard to argue with it. Maybe replace “fucking insane” with “homicidal tunnel-visioned zealots” if you want to get picky, but it’s basically true. If you need reminding, check this entry’s date and go back a day).

Point being, please don’t hold up Islam as a yardstick by which to gauge your righteous anger. One thing reassuring about this Griffin backlash is that it has been restricted thus far to terse condemnations on the Catholic websites and has yet to snowball into a papal fatwa resulting in the deaths of innocent Dutch ambassadors.

Now I’m a fan of controversial jokes, and have in fact dabbled in a few bits that touch on sensitive topics (see Gift Shop, Auschwitz). What’s frustrating is that even when the joke is raising a valid comment or question, the people who take offense usually declare “poor taste” or, more broadly, “you shouldn’t joke about that”. Then they scrunch up and shut down. Often merely raising a delicate issue sends the comic proverbially going directly to jail without collecting $200. Which is too bad. ‘Cause sometimes interesting stuff goes unheard.

Whether you find it funny or not, Griffin’s joke questions, I think validly, the sense of thanking Jesus for anything and everything you like. What DID Jesus have to do with “My Life on the D-List?” Why would He even want credit for anything with “D-list” in the title? The man’s “A-Team” all the way. If you want to cite a D-rank thank, I don’t know, Lot. What did that guy do? At least his wife turned to salt, but does anyone remember anything Lot did?

In the end, Griffin’s voicing her beliefs (or at least some warped facsimile of them). What’s so objectionable? Exactly? Okay, maybe “Suck it, Jesus” is pretty harsh, but if you believe what you read, the guy’s survived worse.

Ultimately most people won’t have to deal with these questions. The E! network is following the “shouldn’t joke” camp and editing the speech’s content in the show’s broadcast next week. Don’t really blame them, what with sponsors and ratings to consider. Still, it is a bit sad.

Would it really be so awful if some young impressionable minds tuned in to Griffin’s mini-tirade and thought, “You know, come to think of it, it is unlikely that award shows are rigged by Jesus. Maybe some things in life actually happen because people make them happen. Good things. Bad things. Even reality TV. Maybe our lives are really up to us.”

That’s the neat thing about blasphemy. If you let it, it can make you think.